We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tristesse Peterson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tristesse, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Reverie and Roots was born out of a simple belief: the everyday rituals in our lives matter. A candle lit at the end of a long day, the scent that lingers after a gathering with loved ones, the quiet glow that centers a room; These aren’t small things. They are the anchors that remind us to slow down, breathe deeply, and live with intention.

As parents of six, now stepping into the reinvention phase of life, we know how quickly days turn into years. Our mission is to craft products that help you pause within the rush, thus offering not just fragrance, but moments of presence, memory, and connection.

At Reverie and Roots, we create the cleanest candles we can, because we believe wellness should extend to every corner of your home. We use 100% soy wax, toxin-free ingredients, and vessels designed for second lives, so that beauty and responsibility always walk hand in hand.

But our mission reaches beyond fragrance. With every product, we plant seeds, through giving back to our community, contributing to reforestation efforts, and inspiring intentional living. For us, it’s not just about making something that smells beautiful. It’s about creating something that feels meaningful.

Reverie speaks to the dreams we hold. Roots reminds us where we come from. Together, they carry the heart of our mission: to craft light that illuminates not only your home, but the world we share.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Tristesse, and together with my husband Steve, we founded Reverie and Roots, a clean candle and home fragrance company built from equal parts family, creativity, and purpose. Our journey into this industry began the way many meaningful things do; Quietly, with curiosity and a spark of intention. After raising six children and moving into the next chapter of life, I felt called to create something that reflected both who we are, what we believe, and what we’ve learned over our parenting years: that the small rituals of daily life matter, and that the products we bring into our homes should support wellness, not compromise it. Having had children who suffered from asthma and eczema, home fragranced items were always touch and go.

Steve’s background in precision and craft paired beautifully with my love for storytelling, photography, and building connection. After presenting him with a complete business plan, in a 2″ binder, with absolutely everything I could think of., we launched the business. Together, we began hand-pouring candles in our kitchen, testing fragrances late into the night, and talking about what kind of legacy we wanted this business to leave. What started as a side project quickly became something much bigger. A brand that reflects the way we live intentionally, with reverence for family, community, and the world around us.

We make 100% soy wax candles, linen and room sprays, wax melts, and other clean fragrance products. Each is designed with toxin-free ingredients, high-quality fragrance oils, and vessels that can be repurposed or recycled. We’ve recently expanded into laundry soap and are exploring other home wellness products to support a healthier lifestyle in every corner of the home.

Our clients and customers are craving home fragrance that smells incredible without the hidden toxins. The market is saturated with paraffin, parabens, endocrine disruptors, and synthetic additives that people unknowingly bring into their homes. We solve that problem by giving people peace of mind with products that are safe, sustainable, and trustworthy, without sacrificing elegance or quality.

We’re more than a product line; We’re storytellers. Every fragrance has a memory, a place, or a person it’s tied to, whether it’s “La Bourdette,” inspired by Steve’s mother’s rose garden, or “Camp Run A Muk,” named after the adventures of our big family aptly fragranced like s’mores. We weave these stories into everything we do, so our customers don’t just buy a candle—they connect with an experience, a piece of nostalgia, or an intentional pause in their day.

We’re also rooted in community and giving back. From supporting local scholarships to contributing $1 per large signature candle to a nonprofit focused on reforestation, we believe in making products that not only bring joy to individual homes but also create ripple effects of good in the world.

We’re proud that our brand has become a reflection of our values: clean living, intentional presence, and deep connection. We’re proud that people who meet us at farmers markets or events don’t just see a booth, they feel like they’ve just met a friend who understands them. And we’re proud that our growth has been organic, rooted in real conversations and relationships.

At the heart of Reverie and Roots is a promise: that when you light one of our candles or spritz one of our sprays, you’re not just filling a room with fragrance—you’re creating a moment of reverie, grounded in your own roots. We want people to know that our brand is human, thoughtful, and real. Every product is hand-poured, every fragrance is chosen with care, and every story we tell comes from lived experience.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When it came to putting together the capital to start Reverie and Roots, we didn’t go the traditional route of investors or business loans. Instead, I made the deeply personal decision to take out my retirement. At first, it felt risky, after all, retirement savings are something most people guard closely. But for me, it was an intentional choice.

I looked at it as an investment not just in a business, but in a dream. After years of raising a large family and working hard in other areas of life, I knew I wanted this next chapter to reflect our values and passions. Using my retirement savings meant I was betting on myself and on us. That our vision of clean, intentional products and our dedication to community would resonate with others.

That initial capital gave us room to purchase supplies, test and refine our candles, secure our first booth spaces at farmers markets, and begin building the foundation of a brand that was more than just a product line. It was our way of saying: we believe in this so much, we’re willing to risk what we’ve set aside for the future to create it now.

Looking back, I see it as one of the bravest decisions I’ve ever made. It gave me both accountability and freedom: accountability because we were determined to make it work, and freedom because it wasn’t tied to outside investors or banks, it was ours, fully and completely.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

For us, keeping in touch with clients goes far beyond sending a receipt or a thank-you card. It’s about creating a relationship that feels genuine and lasting. Many of our first connections happen face-to-face at farmers markets or pop-ups, where we love listening to people’s stories, learning what fragrances resonate with them, and making sure they feel seen and heard. That personal connection is something we carry with us into every other touchpoint.

We foster loyalty by being consistent and intentional across all platforms. We invite customers to join our email list and social media community, where we share not just product updates, but also the “why” behind what we do—stories from our family, clean living tips, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of candle-making. Customers who buy from us online often receive follow-up emails thanking them for their purchase, offering care tips for their candles, and inviting them back for seasonal launches.

We also reward loyalty in tangible ways. From bundle offers and seasonal promotions to our growing rewards program, we like to surprise and delight our repeat customers. We’re mindful that loyalty isn’t just about discounts, it’s about trust. People know that when they choose Reverie and Roots, they’re bringing home products that are safe, clean, and crafted with care.

But maybe the most important piece is authenticity. Our customers know there are real people behind this brand. We’re just us, TC and Steve, pouring candles, loading up the van, showing up every week, and building this dream with heart. That authenticity creates loyalty in itself, because people feel like they’re part of our story, not just buying from it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.reverieandroots.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reverieandroots/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565849112340
• Linkedin: Tristesse Peterson
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReverieandRoots

Image Credits

All images have been taken by me, Tristesse Peterson. (Even the family photo, we used a remote.)